Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 11:16:11 -0500 (EST) From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 03/11/94 AIDS Daily Summary March 11, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "AIDS Increased Most Rapidly Among Heterosexuals, CDC Says" Philadelphia Inquirer (03/11/94) P. A18 According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of AIDS cases reported in 1993 increased most rapidly among heterosexuals--especially young people and black and Hispanic women. Cases resulting from heterosexual contact skyrocketed 130 percent, from 4,045 in 1992 to 9,288 last year, the federal health agency reported. The increase in AIDS was also greater among women than among men, and higher among blacks and Hispanics than among whites. The largest increases, however, occurred among teenagers and young adults--primarily through heterosexual transmission. Heterosexuals at highest risk were those with several lovers who were infected with HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, or were intravenous drug users. The overall growth in AIDS cases jumped 111 percent. The total number of AIDS cases in the United States through Sept. 30, 1993 was 339,250, with the total number of related deaths at 204,390, reports the CDC. The agency had predicted overall growth of 75 percent due to the agency's expanded definition of AIDS, which became effective on Jan. 1, 1993. Related Stories: Washington Post (03/11) P. A8; Baltimore Sun (03/11) P. 8A; New York Times (03/11) P. A12. "AIDS Onslaught Breaches the Burmese Citadel" New York Times (03/11/94) P. A4; Shenon, Philip Myanmar, one of the world's poorest, most isolated, and secretive of countries, admits that it has finally succumbed to the medical catastrophe of an AIDS epidemic. Because of its large population of drug users, a migration of prostitutes, the critical dearth of condoms and testing equipment, and a conservative social structure, health care workers say that Myanmar--formerly Burma--faces an AIDS crisis as serious as those found in the neighboring countries of Thailand and India. But unlike its neighbors, Myanmar has been cut off from most of the international aid for health projects that could help control the epidemic. "Cutting off aid has hurt both the innocent victims of the epidemic and the potential victims," said Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud, one of the few western charities to support AIDS projects in Myanmar. "They don't have enough condoms. They don't have enough testing kits to test the blood." An estimated 150,000 to 450,000 people in Myanmar are infected with HIV, and the infection rates among intravenous drug users there--at 80 percent--are the highest recorded anywhere. "Hemophiliacs With HIV Get Clinic of Their Own" Baltimore Sun (03/11/94) P. 1B; Selby, Holly Today marks the opening of a new medical clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital established expressly for HIV-positive hemophiliacs. The clinic, which will be staffed by personnel from both Hopkins and St. Agnes Hospitals, aims to provide comprehensive health care to adult hemophiliacs in Maryland who contracted HIV through the blood products meant to help them lead better lives. The Hopkins clinic gives hemophiliacs better access to one-stop treatment. Otherwise, Maryland patients would have to travel to Philadelphia, Washington, or Hershey, Pa., to receive care in one medical center. "This may be a small clinic, but it's a major thing for these people," says Annette Maurits, president of the Maryland chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. Today, half of America's 20,000 hemophiliacs are infected with HIV. Most were infected between 1979 and 1985, when testing for HIV in the blood supply was implemented. "Clinton Defends Record on AIDS to Heckler" Baltimore Sun (03/11/94) P. 6A President Clinton reprimanded an AIDS protester who interrupted him after a speech at Brooklyn College yesterday, saying the man was ignoring the government's efforts to battle the disease. When the unidentified man repeatedly challenged the president's commitment to fighting AIDS, Mr. Clinton defended his record on AIDS. "It is always convenient to me, when you interrupt my meetings, how often you ignore what has been done," the president informed his heckler. He reminded the man that his administration has increased federal funding for people with AIDS and research on the disease, developed a national strategy for fighting AIDS, and appointed the country's first AIDS policy coordinator, Kristine Gebbie. "French TV Channels Join Forces to Help Fight AIDS" Reuters (03/10/94) France's seven nationwide television stations will broadcast a joint program next month to raise money for the fight against AIDS in France, which has the highest number of AIDS cases in Europe. "All Against AIDS" will air on April 7 from 8:50 p.m. to midnight. Featuring scientists and celebrities, the program is designed to provide medical advice about the disease, and counter unfounded fears and prejudice against people with AIDS. "In the tiniest, remotest French village, no one will any longer be able to say "I did not know," said entertainer Line Renaud. Professor Luc Montagnier, who co-discovered HIV, said he is counting on the joint broadcast to raise $17 million needed to complete a research center. "Denied Spot on AIDS Body, Former Medical Officer Says" Toronto Globe and Mail (03/10/94) P. A6; Picard, Andre A former Ontario senior public health official said that he was delegated to several pressing public-health crises, but that his request to take an active role in the early battle against AIDS was rejected. David Korn, the province's chief medical officer of health from 1983 to 1987, testified at the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada that he submitted a formal request to be appointed to the provincial advisory committee on AIDS (PACAID). "I had a simple notion that if we mobilized early, we might get a jump on things," Korn said, but his request was denied by Boyd Suttie, assistant deputy minister of public and mental health. Korn claimed that during his term as MOH, he was never consulted about any AIDS policies or classification of the disease. "BRF--Condom Rape" Associated Press (03/11/94) A restaurant manager pleaded guilty to sexual assault rather than face a third trial on charges of raping a woman who asked him to wear a condom because she was afraid of becoming infected with HIV. The rape victim asked her assailant to use a condom, and 31-year-old Jawad Elamri obliged her. In two previous trials--in which the juries could not reach a verdict--the defense argued that the woman gave "implied consent" to sex when she asked Elamri to use a condom. Elamri now faces up to one year in prison and a $500 fine. "No Assurances About Insurance" Advocate (03/08/94) No. 650, P. 22; Gallagher, John Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen's proposal that the Clinton administration permit midsize employers to opt out of the national health care plan have raised concerns among advocates for HIV patients. A. Cornelius Baker, director of public policy for the National Association of People With AIDS, said Bentsen's suggestion intensifies fears that the administration will dilute its promise of coverage for all Americans. "If universal coverage simply means that everybody has a health insurance card and can get their temperature taken, they have coverage, but that does not mean they have access to medical services they need," he explained. "Primary care coverage is not enough for people with HIV." But Arthur Leonard, a law professor at New York Law School, said the proposal creates an opening for legislators to prevent self-insured employers from setting low caps on payouts for AIDS-related claims or capping their AIDS coverage. Self-insurance plans have long been an area of concern for HIV patients. Because they are regulated by the federal Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) instead of individual states, self-insured companies are allowed to select the types of claims they will cover and the amount of coverage they will provide for particular types of claims. "Condoms Are Seen and Heard in New HIV Prevention Campaign" Nation's Health (02/94) Vol. 24, No. 2, P. 1 In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a series of radio and television public service announcements urging young adults to abstain from sexual activity, or to use condoms if they do have sex. Already, advocates for the ads are locking horns with a coordinated campaign to stop this effort to educate young people about preventing HIV infection. "We've already seen evidence of a strong campaign from the religious right," confirms Mary Jean Collins, field director for People for the American Way. "I can't imagine that the conservative members [of Congress] are gonna let this go by" without making some attempt to remove funding from the CDC ads. Advocates, including the American Public Health Association, are retaliating with action alerts and letters to Congress. They are also working in coalitions such as National Organizations Responding to AIDS. While the protests of conservative groups have been loud, public outcry against the ads has been little more than a whisper. "Teach Managers and Employees About AIDS" Restaurants USA (02/94) Vol. 14, No. 2, P. 6 Education is still the most effective weapon in the battle against AIDS, and the National Restaurant Association is one organization that offers its own industry-specific education tools. NRA presents "The AIDS Tape," a package including two videos. The first, "The AIDS Issue: Guidelines for the Foodservice Manager," encourages restaurant operators to develop general policies on AIDS and stresses the importance of educating employees. The second video, "HIV and AIDS: What You Need to Know," includes facts about HIV and AIDS as reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control. The package is available for $39.94 for NRA members, and $49.95 for nonmembers.